HISTORY OF BST AS BIOTECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION IN INDONESIA

These day, the improvement of technology are growing rapidly. Approximately since 1985, the

Indonesian government has made biotechnology as a priority to the development of science and

technology conducted by the Ministry for Research and Technology (RISTEK). Furthermore,

since 1988, biotechnology has been entered in the REPELITA as well as a development priority,

especially in science and technology (iptek).

For the first thinking to use BST, Indonesia government start because of the needs of milk in

Indonesia. The needs of the national milk increased proportionally with the increasing of the

population in Indonesia. But this addition in demand can not be balance with the production in

the number of nationwide dairy products. Each year, Indonesia need about 3.3 million tonnes of

milk(2013). While domestic milk production in Indonesia is still very low, at 0.6 tons, or

approximately 30.25% of the total national supply, so nearly 70-80% of milk supply come from

imports.

According to Professor of the Faculty of Animal Science UGM Prof Vishnu Murti Tridjoko, the

government prefers milk imports. Though the price of imported milk always goes up. Data from

November 2013 shows that milk prices outside Indonesia are around 6,500 U.S. dollars per ton.

Indonesia still relies heavily on raw milk from Australia and New Zealand, no wonder the price

of milk was an easy to increase under the influence of the world dairy prices (Eniza, 2004).

One of the technologies that are currently being used widely to overcome this kind of problem is

using genetic engineering. Genetic engineering can be used so that the milk produced by cows

can be even more . The cows will be added to the body hormone called BST (bovine

somatotropin) , a hormone that can increase milk production. Milk production is normally 5.3

gallons or about 20 liters per day . With the bovine somatotropin hormone, production will

increase at least 6 gallons , or the equivalent is 25 liters per day . By developing a genetic

engineering experiment, the needs of milk in Indonesia can be met because the milk production

will be increased ( Eniza , 2004) .

The use of BST in some countries , especially America has been proven to increase milk

production . However, many people, including practitioners , researchers and consumers still

question the impact of the use of BST , both in animals , humans and the environment .

So until now the use of BST in Indonesia may still wait some time longer to be approve . In fact,

compared with imports of dairy cows at the moment which is very costly , the use of BST is

proven to increase milk production up to 20 %. By using BST, we don’t have to increase the

number of dairy cows as well as facilities such as stables and addition of the new land

( Sulhiyah , 2012).

THE CHARACTERISTIC OF BST

Bovine somatotropin is a growth hormone found in cattle. The word bovine refers to cattle, and

the word somatotropin refers to the name of the hormone. Hormones are chemicals that are

secreted by glands within the body. They are natural substances that affect the way the body

operates. Bovine somatotropin, abbreviated as bST, is a protein hormone produced in cattle by

the pituitary gland located at the base of the animals brain.

A hormone similar to bST is produced in all species of animals. This hormone is important for

growth, development, and other bodily functions of all animals. In the 1930s, it was discovered

that injecting bST into lactating (milk-producing) cows significantly increased milk production.

Composition of Milk from Cows Treated with BST

There are no differences in milk composition from cows treated with BST and from cows which

were not treated. All cows produce BST and all milk contains BST. Protein, butterfat, vitamins,

calcium and other minerals remain the same. Natural variations occur between cows, but these

cannot be related to which treatment the cow received. Flavor of the milk is also not affected.

Consumers are not able to pick out the milk from cows treated with BST as compared to milk

from control cows.

The differences lays on the production of milk. Milk yields are significantly increased when

cows are injected with bST. The blood carries an increased amount of nutrients available for

milk production. More nutrients are extracted from the blood by the mammary gland, which

improves efficiency of milk production. Feed efficiency (pounds of milk produced per pound of

feed consumed) is improved because more milk is produced and the proportion of feed used for

body maintenance is decreased. Milk production in bST-treated cows increases from 4.8 to 11.2

pounds per day, helping the cow meet the increased demands until about 20%.

An average dairy cow begins her lactation with a moderate daily level of milk production. This

daily output increases until, at about 70 days into the lactation, production peaks. From that time

until the cow is dry, production slowly decreases. This increase and decrease in production is

partially caused by the count of milk-producing cells in the udder. Cell counts begin at a

moderate number, increase during the first part of the lactation, then decrease as the lactation

proceeds. Once lost, these cells generally do not regrow until the next lactation.1

Figure 1.Typical Example of Lactation Production Curve

THE WORK OF BOVINE SOMATOTROPIN (BST) IN CATTLE

1 a b c D.E. Bauman Bovine somatotropin and lactation: from basic science to commercial application. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 17 (1999) 101–116

Sources of BST/BGH

Early research efforts used crude extracts from bovine pituitary glands. Although the treated

cows increased their milk production, the amount of available BST was too limited for

commercial use. Biotechnology research received the impetus to produce hormones using

genetically engineered bacteria because of our need for insulin. Insulin is also a protein hormone.

The insulin isolated from the pancreas of animals is active in man when given by injection and

was the source of insulin for diabetics for many years. In the early 1980s, biotechnology made it

possible, through use of recombinant DNA gene splicing, to produce insulin from bacterial cells.

Today almost all insulin used for human injection comes from this manufacturing technique. The

procedure for production of BST is conceptually identical. Biotechnology is also used today to

produce human growth hormone to control dwarfism and interferon to treat a form of adult

leukemia. BST is the first product approved for use in food animals through this technology.

The genes responsible for production of BST in cattle were identified in bovine tissue cells; they

cause the pituitary cells to produce the biological product BST. These genes were isolated and

inserted into a specific bacteria as part of a plasmid, with gene splicing. As these altered bacteria

replicate, the new genes are also replicated and passed along to all new bacteria. The presence of

these genes causes the bacterial cell to become a little “manufacturing plant” which produces

BST in large quantities. Eventually the bacterial cells are killed and removed, leaving the

purified BST.

There are four different natural forms of the BST hormone, with just slightly different chemical

structures. The synthetic form of BST cannot be distinguished in the milk from the natural form.

All milk contains minuscule amounts of BST regardless of whether fromuntreated cows or cows

treated with BST. It is not possible, through testing of the milk, to tell if the cow has been treated

with BST.

When a dairy cow gives birth to her calf, she gradually produces more milk each day until she

reaches her peak milk production level at about 60 days, at which time her milk production

declines over time. rbST supplementation is initiated between day 57 and 70 of the lactation

cycle. rbST supplementation helps cows prolong an improved level of milk production. One cow

produces enough milk in one day to provide milk for 125 kid’s school lunches. That same cow

supplemented with rbST provides enough milk for about 145 children’s lunches.

Hormone BST if injected into the animal's body will promote growth and increase milk

production. Because BST can controled the lactation hormone (milk ejection) in cattle by

increasing the number of cells in the mammary gland. If a hormone made by genetic engineering

is injected in animals, then milk production will increase up to 20% (Anonymous, 2011).

Bovine somatotropin has been synthesized using recombinant DNA technology, with a large

volume of research around the world (more than 1,500 studies) had been established that during

the flood biweekly injections can be believed that BST on dairy cow milk production will

increase 10 to 15 percent and improve feed efficiency from 5 to 15 percent (Sari, 2009).

Mechanism of the hormone bovine somatotropin

Somatotropin Hormone in cow is a branched polypeptida which has 416 - amino acid . This

hormones have effects on the cell membrane . The function of this hormone triggers to form and

to increase the concentration of cAMP as a second messenger process followed by other

biological processes such as to increase amino acids in muscle , kidney and fibroplast and also

can cause lypolysis on fat tissue , assisted by other hormones such as thyroxine and glucocor

ticoid ( Sari , 2009) .

Mechanism of action of Somatotropin in improving lactation performance are with the

distribution change of food absorption ( partitioning of absorbed nutrients ) , reducing fat

accretion , increased fat mobilization and utilization of glucose by peripheral tissues and the

oxidation of glucose and amino acids is reduced . As a result, glucose and amino acids become

available for the synthesis of milk components as well as fat reserves and being used as a source

of energy ( Anonymous , 2011) .

HOW TO USE BST

Giving Hormone Bst ( Bovine somatotropin ) In Dairy Cattle Through Escherichia coli Bacteria

Basically hormone is a product produced by a gland in the body that is distributed via the blood

and give a certain effect on the target cells . Therefore , the hormone has a very important role in

the regulation of growth han , body composition and milk production ( Kurnia , 2011) .

Until now , the only source of BST is from the pituitary gland of cattle. There are only a small

number of BST available , and it is very expensive . But now there is a new science of

biotechnology makes it possible to work with DNA , part of the cell that contains genetic

information for an animal or plant . Scientists have determined that the gene controls the

production of livestock or code for BST ( Anonymous , 2010) .

To affect a cows milk production, bST must be injected into the animal on a regular basis,

similar to the way insulin must be regularly injected into people who have certain types of

diabetes. Feeding bST to cows will not work. Amino acids and peptides are the building blocks

of proteins.

The hormone bST is a complex protein that is immediately broken down into small, inactive

amino acids and peptides and rendered ineffective when it enters a cows digestive system. How

often a cow must be injected with bST will depend on whether a bST product can be developed

that releases the hormone gradually over a long period of time.

The way to giving bovine somatotropin hormone by using the role of Escherichia coli bacteria

are :

1 . Planting DNA somatotropin in a cow through Esherichia coli bacteria. Where these bacteria

can be found in the intestinal tract of animals .

2 . Then after experiencing a complex process that makes Escherichia coli bacteria capable to

duplicate the arrangement of amino acids that are exactly the same as on the hormone . The

planting DNA then resulted in a row of hormone BST , OST , PST and HST depending on the

hormone needed.

3 . After that, the BST hormone produced by the bacterium Escherichia coli will be purified and

then injected in cows

4 . With the increasing concentrations of somatotropin that joined in the blood which contains

similar hormones derived from the pituitary gland , then they together will lead to the target cells

and in this target cells will give additional strength and stimulates the protein and increase milk

production , this is seen by the indication of the high overall body protein synthesis and

improving the efficiency of protein deposition . In addition , BST also has anti insulin or an anti-

diabetogenic that cause the increasing of plasma concentrations of glucose in animals treated

with BST . The increase was due to the increasement of gluconeogenesis and the decrease of

glucose uptake by adipose tissue ( Kurnia , 2011)

More detail can be seen from the picture below :

Figure 2. bST Production

Use of BST in the Lactation Cycle

The milk production response to BST is generally smaller early in a cow's lactation than when

administered after peak milk production is attained (Bauman, 1992; Muller, 1992). FDA has

approved Monsanto's BST product (Posilac®) to be administered beginning the ninth week after

calving (Monsanto, 1993). Parity (the number of lactations for a given cow) can also affect the

magnitude of milk response to BST. Some studies have observed higher levels of milk response

in multiparous cows as compared to primiparous (first-lactation) cows, but other investigations

have reported similar increases for all parities. Differences probably relate to the extent to which

first-lactation cows need to divert nutrients for growth in order to achieve mature size.

Insulin-like Growth Factors

Insulin-Like Growth Factors I and II are involved with growth hormones therefore they need to

be considered. IGF-II does not increase when cows are treated with BST; there is a slight

increase in IGF-I. It is higher in human milk than in milk from treated cows. If it were injected,

IGF-I could be active in humans. IGF-I is not destroyed during pasteurization of milk, however

the heat treatment used producing baby formula does destroy this hormone. It is also destroyed

when milk or meat is cooked. Since it a protein, it is digested by both adults and infants, and

therefore is not considered a problem.

How Did Scientists Develop bST?

Until recently, the only source of bST was from the pituitary glands of cattle. There were only

small quantities of bST available, and it was very expensive.

Now, the new science of biotechnology makes it possible to work with DNA, the part of a cell

that contains the genetic information for an animal or a plant. Scientists have determined which

gene in cattle controls or codes for the production of bST. They have removed this gene from

cattle and inserted it into a bacterium called Escherichia coli. This bacterium, which is found in

the intestinal tract of humans and animals, acts like a tiny factory and produces large amounts of

bST in controlled laboratory conditions. The bST produced by the bacteria is purified and then

injected into cattle (see figure 2)

The movement of a gene from one organism to another, in this case from the pituitary gland of a

cow to a bacterial organism, is called recombinant DNA technology. Several Food and Drug

Administration(FDA) approved drugs, including insulin for the treatment of diabetes and tissue

plasminogen activator (TPA) for the treatment of heart attacks in people, are produced in a

similar way.

The circulatory systems of humans and animals are packed with chemical messengers called

hormones. These hormones travel through the bloodstream in search of specific hormone

receptors on distant cells. There they bind to these receptors and initiate a vital cascade of

life-sustaining events inside each cell. Hormone receptors are extraordinarily selective in their

ability to recognize and bind to hormones. This property confers great specificity in hormone

action.

The behavior of both humans and animals is governed by hormonal signals which are received,

decoded and acted on by the appropriate cells that make up tissues and organs. A cell that can

respond to a specific hormone is called a target cell for that particular hormone. There is great

specificity in the endocrine system. Not all cells respond to all hormones-, thus, certain

hormones may have very potent effects in some cells and no effect in others.

THE RESULT OF USING BST

Effects of BST on Milk Production Per Cow

By 1993, scientists throughout the world had conducted and published in excess of 1,500 BST

studies using more than 40,000 dairy cows (Muller, 1992; Bauman et. al., 1994). There is no

question that BST use increases milk yield and production efficiency. However, there are many

factors that affect the magnitude of the milk production response, and study results vary widely.

A number of factors have been identified as influencing milk production response in BST

research trials:

the quality of herd management, including the availability and quality of feed;

the dosage of BST;

when BST is administered during a cow's lactation, with the largest increases in milk

production occurring when BST is administered following the peak in the lactation cycle,

63-90 days following calving;

the age of the cow, with first-lactation cows having a lower response than older cows;

and

the body condition of the cow prior to the start of treatment, and the cow's initial health

before and during treatment.

Numerous studies indicate that quality of herd management will be the major factor affecting a

cow's milk production response to BST. Thus, projecting the milk production response on the

average commercial dairy farm is somewhat speculative. Studies, under widely varying

conditions, indicate that BST can boost milk production per cow 10 to 20 percent during the 245-

day period (Muller, 1992; U.S. Congress, OTA, 1991). Under actual farming conditions, this

study assumes that BST treatment will increase milk production per treated cow by 1,800 pounds

per year (this covers the full lactation period of about 305 days). The 1,800 pound increase is

equivalent to a 11.5 percent increase in milk production per cow, relative to the currently

projected U.S. annual average output of 15,610 pounds per cow for 1993.

Effects on Low- Versus High-Producing Cows

Most study results indicate that BST treatment tends to increase milk production per cow by an

absolute amount regardless of the cow's initial level of milk production. Thus, cows with low or

medium production tend to show a higher proportional response than high-producing cows.

However, response varies among herds and within herds, as is the case with untreated herds

(Thomas et al., 1991).

The Dairy Industry

Income for individual farmers who adopt BST is likely to increase. Productivity and profit per

cow should rise for both small and large farms. BST favors good herd management rather than

small or large farms. BST is likely to reinforce productivity changes that have been occurring for

decades in the U.S. dairy industry. BST use will increase U.S. milk production by about one

percent, through FY 1999. This production will likely lead to slightly lower prices for milk,

averaging about two percent lower over the next six years. These lower prices are expected to

result in declines in aggregate farm income from dairy farming of about one percent over this

same period. Lower milk prices from BST use are also expected to contribute to higher Federal

Government dairy price-support costs, but decreased Federal costs for nutrition programs like

Food Stamps and the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children

(WIC). Federal dairy price-support program costs would increase by approximately $l50 million

in the peak year, FY 1996, and decline in later years. This would represent a 1.8 percent increase

in total projected Federal farm commodity subsidies for that peak year. Savings in the costs of

Federal feeding programs would begin in FY 1997, and could completely offset the increased

cumulative costs of the Federal dairy price-support program over 10 years. While there would be

savings in the feeding programs before FY 1997, those savings would be used to either increase

program participation rates or provide additional benefits to participants.

Consumption of Dairy Products

Consumers are expected to benefit over the next six years with BST use due to the availability of

more milk at lower prices. Largely because of this increase, the net national economic impact of

BST usage is expected to be positive. No significant reduction of demand for milk and dairy

products is expected to result from BST use. While some surveys reveal strong consumer

resistance to BST, others indicate confidence in the U.S. milk supply, and no substantial intent to

forego use of BST milk. There appears to be a need for nutrition Outreach on BST's effects.

How Does bST Affect Milk Production?

To affect a cows milk production, bST must be injected into the animal on a regular basis,

similar to the way insulin must be regularly injected into people who have certain types of

diabetes. Feeding bST to cows will not work. Amino acids and peptides are the building blocks

of proteins.

The hormone bST is a complex protein that is immediately broken down into small, inactive

amino acids and peptides and rendered ineffective when it enters a cows digestive system. How

often a cow must be injected with bST will depend on whether a bST product can be developed

that releases the hormone gradually over a long period of time.

Milk yields are significantly increased when cows are injected with bST, although not as much

as some reports in popular newspapers and magazines suggest. The exact details of how bST

increases milk production are not known, but it is thought that blood flow to the cows mammary

(milk-producing) gland is increased. The blood carries an increased amount of nutrients available

for milk production. More nutrients are extracted from the blood by the mammary gland, which

improves efficiency of milk production. Feed efficiency (pounds of milk produced per pound of

feed consumed) is improved because more milk is produced and the proportion of feed used for

body maintenance is decreased. The actual amount of feed consumed by bST-treated cows

increases, helping the cow meet the increased nutrient demands.

Milk production in bST-treated cows increases from 4.8 to 11.2 pounds per day. Feed efficiency

improves from 2.7 to 9.3 percent (Peel, et al.).  Information provided by some groups gives the

impression that there is controversy about the biology of somatotropin. However, 800 reports on

20,000 treated cows have yielded remarkably consistent results worldwide (Bauman).

Researchers have summarized several bST trials and found a milk production increase of 8.4

pounds per day (Bauman). They estimated that, depending on how the dairy operation is

managed, average increased milk production is expected to range from 8.5 to 17.6 percent.

It is difficult to predict how individual cows will respond to bST. A higher response is seen when

treatment is started after the cow has been producing milk for 101 days, rather than when

treatment is started on days 57-100 after calving. The response o f cows treated in early lactation

is less (Bauman). Cows that have had more than one calf show a greater increase in milk

production than do first lactation heifers (Peel, et al.). Milk yield gradually increases for the first

few days after bST treatment begins. A maximum increase is seen in about six days. To meet the

needs for this increased milk production, treated cows consume from 10 to 20 percent more grain

and forage.

Normally, cows reach their peak milk production 7-9 weeks after lactation begins. Milk quantity

then slowly declines throughout the remainder of lactation. The ability of cows to maintain

relatively high levels of milk production throughout lactation is called "persistency." The major

response of cows treated with bST is a significant improvement in persistency. The normal

decrease in milk yield as lactation progresses is markedly reduced. Quality of management,

including health programs, milking pra ctices, nutrition, cow condition, and environmental

conditions will be major factors in the response to bST.

REFERENCE

Utah State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.

Department of Agriculture, Robert L. Gilliland, Vice President and Director, Cooperative Extension Service, Utah State

University, Logan, Utah. (EP/3-95/DF)

Barbano, David M. and Joanna M. Lynch. "Milk from bST Treated Cows: Composition and Manufacturing Properties." Advanced Technologies Facing the Dairy Industry: bST. Cornell University. Nov. 10-11, 1989.

Bauman, Dale E. "Biology of Bovine Somatotropin." Advanced Technologies Facing the Dairy Industry: bST. Cornell University. Nov. 10-11, 1989. p. 1-8.

Ferguson, James D., and Andrew Skidmore. "Bovine Somatotropin -Reproduction and Health." Advanced Technologies Facing the Dairy Industry: bST. Cornell University. Nov. 10-11, 1989. p. 57-66.

HHS News. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nov. 5, 1993.

McDermott, Keyron. Editorial, The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa, May 3, 1990.

Milligan, Robert A. "Profitability of bST Technology." Advanced Technologies Facing the Dairy Industry: bST. Cornell University. Nov. 10-11, 1989. p. 36-48.

Peel, C. J.; D. L. Hurd; K. S. Madsen; and G. de Kerchove. Monsanto Agricultural Company. In Proceedings, Monsanto Technical Symposium, Oct. 24, 1989. The Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Missouri.

Review of Bovine Somatotropin. FDA Veterinarian. March/April 1990, Vol. V, No. II.

Stanton, B. jF., and A. M. Novalovic. "The Impact of bST Technologies: The Pros and Cons." Advanced Technologies Facing the Dairy Industry: bST. Cornell University. Nov. 10-11, 1989. p. 142-148.

Written by Nolan R. Hartwig, D.V.M. Iowa State University Extension Veterinarian, and Gjlenda D. Webber, Office of Biotechnology, Iowa State University.